


Quiet

by centreoftheselights



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: And Immediately Loving Her With Your Whole Heart, Anxiety, Comfort, Familial Love, Families of Choice, Fluff, Gen, Hugging, Kid Fic, Love and Other Fairytales, Meeting Your Niece For The First Time, Overwhelment, Protectiveness, recursive fic, soft soft soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:15:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25917205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/centreoftheselights/pseuds/centreoftheselights
Summary: At Linda's welcome party, Elliot needs a moment alone.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Elliott (Cartoon Therapy), Elliott (Cartoon Therapy) & Linda Sanders
Comments: 36
Kudos: 167
Collections: Everything LAOFT





	Quiet

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Introductions](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20581433) by [SoDoRoses (FairyChess)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyChess/pseuds/SoDoRoses). 



> Vi posted [this ask](https://tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors.tumblr.com/post/626469067526684672/is-there-a-gender-neutral-equivalent-to-aunt-or) and this immediately fic demanded I write it.
> 
> This will make no sense unless you're familiar with the Love and Other Fairytales AU, especially [Family](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20339596) and [Winterbloom](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20178550).

It was a very nice party. It was lovely to see everyone, of course it was, and they were all friends, only -

Only there was a _lot_ of everyone.

So Elliot had quietly slipped out to the far end of the garden, and leaned against the trunk of the tree to take a few minutes' break and recharge their ability-to-social. It was early evening, the night air cool and the first stars just beginning to appear overhead. Everything was calm and quiet.

“Whatcha doin'?”

Elliot suppressed the urge to shriek, instead bursting into slightly-hysterical giggles as they looked down and met the wide, innocent eyes of little Linda, the party's guest of honour, who they'd met just a couple of hours earlier. She pouted up at them, and their heart immediately softened like butter left out on a warm day. Elliot had seen their big brother making that same offended, slightly-haughty expression a thousand times, grumpy at them for laughing at some mortal thing he didn't understand. They had always loved kids, and – surprising though her arrival may have been – no-one deserved to be a dad more than Virgil.

“Hey, Linny,” they said, squatting down to her eye level. “Sorry I laughed. You startled me.”

“I f'give you, Avie Ellie,” she said imperiously, and yep, this was V's baby alright. “Why are you behind the tree? Are you hiding?”

“No.” Elliot chuckled. “I'm sure your Vati knows I'm back here. I just got a little tired, and I wanted to be somewhere quiet for a bit.”

“You can go home if you're sleepy,” Linny informed them eagerly. “Papa says you must never be scared to com-mun-i-cate your needs.”

“I'm sure he does.” Elliot was smiling so wide their cheeks hurt – oh, she was so precious. “But I don't need to sleep, only a little break, and then I'll feel better and I can go back to the party.”

Linda nodded firmly. Then she bit her lip, suddenly looking a little shy.

“Can I up?” she asked.

As soon as Elliot held out their arms, Linda all but leapt into their hold. She was much lighter than Elliot was expecting, and they stood up easily, balancing her on their hip. She nuzzled her face against their shoulder, claws pressing lightly into their arm. It took a moment for Elliot to recognise the pulsing pressure – she was making biscuits against their shoulder.

Elliot pressed a kiss against the top of her head, and she beamed up at them.

“Avie Ellie?” she asked brightly. “Why are you my avie?”

A part of Elliot winced at that question, although it was far less hurtful from a child who had never been taught than it might have been elsewhere.

“Well,” they began. “Avie is short for avaun, which is like an aunt or uncle but for someone who isn't a boy or a girl -”

“I know _that_ ,” Linda interrupted, sounding insulted that they had thought otherwise. “But are you a _friend_ avie, like Uncle Remy and Uncle Emi, or are you a family avie like Uncle Thomas and Uncle Harley?”

“I…” Elliot hesitated a moment, not sure what they were supposed to say.

“They're family. Ellie is my sibling,” Virgil said, stepping out from the shadows nearby. “Linny, what have I told you about staying in sight? I was so worried about you -”

He scooped Linda effortlessly out of Elliot's arms, holding her close. There was a soft, rumbling noise and – oh no, she was purring, this was adorable.

“I'm sorry, Vati,” Linda said in a small voice. “But there were lots of people talking and it was loud and Dean is very nice but he runs fast -”

Virgil made a soft humming noise, rocking her back and forth gently. Elliot wasn't sure if it was magic, or just the parental touch, but Linda relaxed immediately, sagging against his chest in that boneless way only little kids could achieve.

“Bedtime?” V asked, but Linny shook her head stubbornly.

“No, 'm gonna be okay. Avie Ellie says sometimes you jus' need a lil break and then you feel better.”

“Uh huh?”

Virgil gave them a flat look, and Elliot shrugged helplessly.

“I meant _me_ ,” they mouthed, and Virgil's eyes glittered in that way they did when he was silently laughing.

Linda squirmed in her father's grasp, and to Ellie's surprise, she reached out for them with grabby hands.

“Back please!”

Virgil raised an eyebrow, silently asking permission, and only handed Linda back when Elliot nodded at him. Linda immediately snuggled close again, making herself at home in Elliot's arms.

“I've got her,” Elliot said to Virgil – and something tugged inside them that felt dangerously close to a promise. “You go back to the party.”

“Are you sure?” Virgil said, hovering. As soon as Linda was out of his arms, he suddenly seemed much less certain of himself.

Elliot made a shooing motion, and V started to walk away – but only very slowly.

Linda, apparently oblivious to this, was rubbing her cheek against the shoulder seam of Elliot's jacket, clearly enjoying the texture.

“It makes sense you're Vati's siblin',” she declared to no-one in particular. “Cause siblings are meanta be like each other, and you're like him.”

“I am?” Elliot asked. “Why's that, Linny?”

“You're both good for bein' quiet with,” Linda declared.

Oh.

Only a few feet away, Virgil hesitated, looking back at them both with the softest expression Elliot had ever seen on him. Their eyes met, and they were sure that even in the darkness, Virgil could see the way their eyes were suddenly shiny with tears.

“… Thank you,” Elliot said softly, holding their niece tight.

“You're welc'm. We can go back to the party soon, 'kay?”

“Okay.”


End file.
